updated 01:45 pm EST, Mon December 27, 2010

Apple says 1m Apple TV mark official

Apple kicked off the post-holiday period today by confirming its earlier prediction that it would reach one million Apple TVs shipped. A spokesperson for the company confirmed that the media hub passed the milestone before Saturday. The AllThingsD tip didn't confirm exact numbers.

The growth, at about 333,000 per month is well behind other iOS-based Apple devices but is relatively brisk for dedicated TV media devices. Roku is meeting the goal at the same time but will have taken roughly two years to reach the same figure. Console makers like Microsoft and Sony often more units in a single month and are used frequently for video despite their gaming focus.

Much of the surge is credited mostly to the major price drop to $99 but also customers drawn to built-in Netflix support and the long-term promise of network sharing features such as AirPlay.